Auckland Arthritis Foundation needs hand

By FRANCESCA MOLD

A community agency which makes more than 9000 visits to Auckland arthritis sufferers each year could be forced to close its doors because of a Government refusal to boost its funding.

The Auckland branch of the Arthritis Foundation has revealed it incurred a deficit of $32,000 last financial year.

As a result, it has warned that services will have to be cut back or closed unless the Government answers a plea for a financial rescue package - a one-off grant of $70,000.

But the Health Funding Authority said yesterday that there would be no one-off payment or funding increase this financial year.

HFA spokesman Rob Eaddy said there was intense pressure for disability support services in Auckland.

But the foundation says the crisis is due to the discrepancy between its Government funding and the money it has to fundraise.

Of the Auckland division's total income of $424,550, it received just $25,000 from the Government. For that money, the foundation is required to make at least 300 client visits.

But the foundation said that in the past year it had made 9000 visits, which had to be supplemented by donations, an annual appeal, bequests and membership fees.